"Brussels would be willing to discuss closer trade ties with the UK, including the possibility of cooperation on a customs union, a senior European commissioner has said, signalling the clearest openness yet from the EU to re-engage with Britain.Speaking to the BBC after high-level talks in London, Valdis Dombrovskis, the European Commissioner for Economy, said the EU was "ready to engage with an open mind" if the UK wanted to explore deeper economic alignment."
"Dombrovskis also said the EU and UK could remove "most" food checks between Britain and the bloc if agreement is reached on aligning sanitary and phytosanitary rules, potentially easing one of the biggest sources of friction for exporters since Brexit. The commissioner was speaking following meetings with senior UK ministers, including Chancellor Rachel Reeves, European trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič, and cabinet ministers Peter Kyle and Nick Thomas-Symonds."
"The group, informally dubbed the "Quint" by diplomats, is intended to meet regularly to coordinate responses to a rapidly shifting global trade and security environment. While it is not formally tasked with renegotiating Brexit arrangements, its creation signals a renewed willingness on both sides to cooperate. At a public event alongside Dombrovskis, Reeves said stronger UK-EU ties were becoming increasingly important as "we are sliding towards a world where the rules are less clear", pointing to heightened geopolitical and trade tensions."
Valdis Dombrovskis said the EU is ready to engage with an open mind if the UK wants deeper economic alignment, including possible cooperation on a customs union. He said the EU and UK could remove most food checks if agreement is reached on aligning sanitary and phytosanitary rules, easing a major friction point for exporters since Brexit. Dombrovskis met senior UK ministers including Chancellor Rachel Reeves, European trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič, Peter Kyle and Nick Thomas-Symonds. The group, informally dubbed the "Quint", will meet regularly to coordinate responses to shifting global trade and security conditions. A customs union would remove tariffs and reduce border bureaucracy but could limit the UK's ability to sign independent trade deals by requiring alignment with the EU's external tariff.
Read at Business Matters
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